Bed of Nails
by Smapdi
Summary: One shot, short and very angsty, set post TLAP. I'm a downer, sorry.


He's standing at the counter making notes on a chart when he feels the warmth of two small hands over his eyes and a soft body pressed against his back. For a millisecond there is a sweet exhilaration and then the instant harsh realization, as he hears the chirping voice saying "guess who," that he guessed wrong.

As his face heats up, he feels stupid and embarrassed because of course it's Sally. He's dating Sally and she's come to visit him which he knew would happen and dreaded because this, this relationship he doesn't keep secret. She's crazy in the wrong way and doesn't even know he's using her. He'll defend till his death that it's perfectly acceptable for him to date whoever he wants but he doesn't need Peter's steely glares or Mindy's sad glances for him to know he's a liar.

There's a million women out there to whom he could have turned to fill the void, but it's almost like he wanted to punish them. Peter for usurping his place in Mindy's life. Mindy for barely questioning his decision to leave, when any other time she would have fought and schemed to win back her man. She didn't even look hurt when she found out, when Sally first showed up and wrapped her arms around his neck in the middle of the lobby. She looked resigned and accepting and somehow that was so much worse.

"Good for you." She had said with a tight smile that felt like a knife in his gut because he knew she meant it.

Then he took Sally home and took her body and tried not to shy away when she clung to him and murmured how wonderful he was. It was fitting that they be together, two liars. She just didn't know she was lying. He could fill a book with things she didn't know about him, while he'd be hard pressed to fill a page with what Mindy didn't know. All the page could really say was that he loved her.

He was lonelier when he was with her than when he was by himself. When he dropped his glasses and had to crawl under the bed, so he could finish that last chapter before the snoring drove him mad, he didn't expect his fingers to brush something small and hard. He brought the tiny stone up and instantly recognized it, and something in him just cracked.

Sally slapped him, over and over, calling him every name she could think of, and he didn't even flinch. She wasn't saying anything he didn't already believe. She stormed out and relief washed over him.

He wasn't asleep when the knocking started, still just sitting in his bed staring dazedly at the shiny object in his fingers. He resignedly went to the door, expecting Sally coming to retrieve a hurriedly forgotten item, so he didn't even think to turn on a light or look through the peephole.

"What the fuck?" She pushed his chest with both hands, harder than he could have ever expected, sending him staggering back into his dark living room. "What the ever loving fuck, Danny?"

"Min." He breathed and for a moment he thought he might pass out. She slammed the door, no doubt waking every neighbor on the floor and then some, and stepped into him, pushing him again.

"What are you doing, Danny? Is this some kind of sick joke?" She was barely lit by the ambient light and he could see the tear tracks on her face. He shook his head, confused, his mouth too dry to speak, his heart racing too fast for him to breathe.

"You seriously didn't think I'd hear about it? You break up with Peter's sister because you're "still in love" with someone else, and you don't think maybe she would mention it to him?"

He hadn't been thinking at all. He had just found the earring and acted on impulse. He looked down at it, still desperately clutched in his fingers, and just thrust it into her hand wordlessly. She looked down at the shiny gem on her palm and her lip curled, fresh tears springing to her eyes. "There were two." She choked.

"I... I'll go find the other one..." He started to turn, to escape, but she was quicker and stopped him in his path.

"Why did you say that, Danny?" She hissed. Her eyes were wild like a trapped animal.

He had nothing to win, and nothing left to lose.

"Because it's true."

She stared at him, a noise between a whimper and a sob slipping through her lips before she turned away and broke down, wrapping her arms around her head like she was trying to shield herself from a beating.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and moved past her, into his bedroom, under his bed clawing for the other stone. Her soft cries echoed in his head until he heard the door close quietly.


End file.
